A Bride-based agricultural haulage business says it will put up its prices from 1 November, after the Steam Packet fuel surcharge it was quoted for bringing a trailer to the island rose from £62 to £209, plus VAT.
J W Kneen and Son Ltd said feed prices, container work, livestock transport and general haulage would all be affected, according to Isle of Man Today.
The company said the higher shipping charge followed a 16p-per-litre increase in road fuel prices at the start of October.
In a post on its social media account, the firm said: “As a small business we can’t absorb these costs.”
The business said it had not changed its prices during October, but would now need to pass part of the extra cost on to its customers.
The firm offers agricultural haulage and Hiab services, using lorries fitted with cranes. It thanked customers for their support, adding: “Many will say the joys of living on an island.”
The company also called on the newly elected MHKs, members of the House of Keys, to examine the Steam Packet’s fuel surcharge. It warned that the effects would reach well beyond farming.
“As it’s not just farmers that will suffer, it is anything that is shipped,” the post said.
Isle of Man Today reported that the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company reviews its freight fuel surcharge every three months in line with movements in fuel costs. The ferry operator’s charges must be agreed with, and are audited by, the Isle of Man Government.
Isle of Man Today said it had asked the Steam Packet for comment.
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